Carrying the Flavour Forward: Preserving Family Heritage Through Food and Cooking

Throughout July and August 2025, we hosted four workshops across Forest Gate to reminisce about buying produce at Wenty’s and to reflect on the family recipes and cherished dishes those ingredients bring to life.

Gatherings became more than conversations about food —they opened up space for sharing memories of meals, drinks, and home-made remedies passed down through generations. Participants spoke not only about what they prepared, but also about who they prepared it with, and the occasions those meals and traditions marked.

Each workshop took shopping at Wenty’s as its starting point—a reminder that the shop was never only a focal point for the Jamaican community. It introduced Newham as a whole to Caribbean flavours and products, while supplying everyday staples for locals of various backgrounds and culinary traditions.

We’re excited to showcase a collection of the stories and recipes gathered at our event for this year’s Newham Heritage Month on Saturday, 20 September 2025 (click here for more details).

Below a little glimpse of what our participants have shared

Remedies that cure and prevent

During our discussion about health remedies at Hibiscus Community Centre, the conversation turned to soursop—a fruit everyone seemed to trust, whether they enjoyed it with milk or without. Its antioxidant richness and reputation for helping manage blood sugar were just the beginning of its virtues.

And when illness strikes despite your best efforts, here is a time-honoured cold remedy from a different tradition—no soursop required:

Special Occasions throughout the year

Somewhat more light-hearted were our conversations about special occasions and festivities, stirring joyful childhood memories of family meals in Newham and abroad—from Guyanese Easter feasts to British-Caribbean breakfast traditions.

Subtitle: Recipes with all kinds of twists

Jamaican food—and Caribbean cuisine more broadly—has become an integral part of British food culture today, thanks in part to entrepreneurs like Wenty Newland. Wenty’s Tropical Foods was among the first shops in our borough to give residents access to fresh Caribbean produce. With the addition of its enclosed takeaway, it also brought new flavours and distinctive tastes to the community. Nigerian-born Kessy remembers:

As our workshops revealed, a single dish can take on countless twists and variations. Sometimes these differences are inspired by favourite food brands or passed-down seasoning hacks. Other times, a recipe inherited from Jamaica or Trinidad blends with one of Newham’s many other culinary influences, creating new traditions, rooted in shared heritage.

The recipes shared by our workshop participants, inspired by their memories of shopping at Wenty’s, highlight the shop’s power to evoke a sense of home—not only for those seeking the familiar tastes of Jamaica, but also for customers from across the globe looking for ingredients to recreate the dishes that carry their family traditions and stories.